The present invention involves the measurement of skis and more particularly, the determination of what is generally called "ski stiffness". This parameter is a principal one in establishing the ski's performance characteristics.
The structural components and dimensions of a ski construction control what is known as its "bending stiffness". However, a ski also is formed with camber which affects the deflection of the ski. Thus, in order to measure what a skier is primarily interested in--the ski's overall deflection characteristics--an integrated measurement of bending stiffness and camber is required. Such a measurement is perhaps best called the determination of deflection stiffness, and throughout the following description that term will be utilized instead of ski stiffness.
It is believed that heretofore no device has been developed to permit a simple accurate determination of deflection stiffness. However, the present invention provides a means for integrating bending stiffness and camber so as to obtain a meaningful measurement of this parameter.